Orange String
by Star-sama
Summary: There is something called Fate, and another called Destiny. But what does that has to do with the fact Naruto could've sworn he was a boy?
1. Prologue pt 1

It's quiet. Terribly quiet.

It practically hurts.

She doesn't know why the old man never introduced her to her siblings.

She doesn't know why she doesn't look like them at all.

"Take care of them, when you get the chance." He said, ruffling her blond hair.

Emotionless blue eyes stare back up at him. "I will..." She replies, ever so quietly. Her voice echoes in the darkness, though there are no walls for the sounds to come back to her; they do anyway.

She fidgets a little, it being a bit chilly. The air was damp, and she seemed to be standing in an endless puddle.

"What's.. My name?.." The blonde asks it timidly, crossing her arms and squeezing a little.

"... You don't have one, not yet, anyway. When you are born, you will be given one."

"When will that be?"

"I don't know. Soon, hopefully... I have to get going.. I'm sorry to leave you."

Her eyes turn towards the ground, suddenly feeling a little sick.

He places a finger under her chin, and lifts her head towards him.

"Don't get so down... You have a very big job to do.. So you'll probably be born under someone with power. Hopefully with a good bloodline. Maybe under one of my sons. You won't remember me for awhile. You may never remember me at all but.. Never forget your siblings. Always take care of them. Watch over them.. That is what I leave to you."

He closes his eyes for a moment, and the girl feels compelled to copy after him. She presses her lips into a thin line. When her eyes open, he is gone.

She is alone, without a name, only a purpose and the knowledge that some day she will be born.

It takes a very long time. She has tried very many things very many times. She is empty.

She has recited her conversation with him exactly 3,456 times. She's planning to do it again after she finishes trying to find an end to the darkness.

The girl never found it.

At least, until she started to hear the call of her brethren.

They are so ever distressed. Knowing her purpose, she too becomes distressed. What if she is supposed to be helping them now? What if she supposed to be with them? But she isn't, and their calls of despair are the only thing she can hear anymore. Her voice has gone cold and her ears numb.

What is another long time later, their despair turns into hatred. Her pretty blue eyes have started to leak. This fascinates her to no end. She knows nothing else.

Her hands and feet have started to fade, and she begins to believe she has been forgotten to the point of nonexistence. Her eyes start leaking again, but.. The corners of her mouth are showing a lot of teeth.

She feels what others call, 'relief'.


	2. Prologue pt 2

I don't own Naruto. It belongs to Kishimoto. The story/changes/plot of this fic however, is mine. SO uh, copyright on that.

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The Yondaime smiled at his wife fondly, a bead of sweat rolling down the side of her head only to be caught by a string of her red hair. She smiled back, glancing to the woman who held her child. "It's a girl." She said, wrapping the small baby in an orange blanket and walking towards Kushina, snubbing the Minato who had open arms. "Mother gets to hold her first." She added, a little rudely, but it was true. Kushina had been carrying the tiny little thing for nine months. The redhead gratefully took her daughter in arms, instantly convinced she was the most beautiful thing on earth. Minato crouched down beside his wife, a soft smile on the hokage's face. "I was so sure it was going to be boy..." He whispered, gently pushing a strand of hair out of his wife's face. "It's a nice surprise. Maybe you don't know everything after all." Kushina laughed a little, joined by a grinning Minato. "I was kind of excited to name our child after Jiraiya's book, but I think we can manage changing it a bit." Kushina nodded at her husband's words, her dark violet eyes never leaving her baby and its sleeping face. "Naru-Ko." She said, giving a slight nod. It sounded cute, and reminded her of something you'd name some kind of character advertising a candy. Minato frowned a little. "Isn't that the name of some company?" He asked, but it was too late. He could tell just by her expression she was bent on naming their little bundle Naruko. He sighed, but he couldn't be unhappy. He loved his child none the less, and was sure it'd grow on him. It already had, actually. Biwako, the woman who had helped birth their daughter, walked over to Kushina. "May I see her? I must check for a few things." Kushina looked at her oddly for a moment before handing her the child. Minato was watching too, but it was too late. Their fate was sealed, along with Naruko's..

Sarutobi was a kind man. He had served his village proudly, standing tall as the student of its founders. He had lived a very long life, filled with as much happiness as there was sorrow. The elder had felt at peace when he chose Minato to become the fourth. He was a talented young man with a fiery jinchuuriki at his side. The Yellow Flash and Habanero. It only made sense that he would choose him, his other choice having become unstable with greed for power; something that was unwelcome in a hokage. Jiraiya had also been someone he had thought of, but the man with spikey white had declined him. Not that Sarutobi regretted making the Yellow Flash hokage, it was just.. Sad, how it had turned out. Not even a month as hokage had the blond lasted. He was now dead, along with a very long list of villagers that left more than plenty of orphans. His own child being one of them. The third's lips pressed into a thin line as he eyed the heavy damage that been dealt to the village. The dead was no longer laying amongst the wreckage, and he felt instantly sorry for the genin who had probably had to drag their own parents out of their now crushed homes.

It was cold this particular morning, and he knew very well why. Why would the sun shine on people who were in such deep mourning? Sarutobi, despite this knowledge, knew the sun would eventually shine again, the gentle rays of light hitting the saddened villagers from between the tree tops, peaking through with hope. The old man glanced into the sky. That day did not seem to today though, the sky being covered with clouds. The memorial would start any minute, and he pondered if a certain blonde headed newborn would be there, held by a nurse. Surely someone would take the child to her own parent's memorial. He closed his eyes as he stopped in the middle of what had used to be his office. He knew very though, far too well, that no one would. Who would take the container of a monster to the funeral of it's victims? Not only that, a female jinchuuriki was a problem on it's own. She would be heavily discouraged from becoming a ninja, most likely raised to be married off to one of the clans for status. However, the third could not dream of a child from two talented people such as Minato and Kushina, being wasted like that. He knew they would never want their child to be some symbol of power handed to whoever threw the highest bid. Not only that, but female jinchuuriki also tended to be more likely targeted by other villages. Combine that with the child's lineage if not hidden properly.

Quietly, in the midst of wreckage, a decision was made. Perhaps it was knowing that he was giving this child a chance, or maybe just how much Minato had gone on and on about he was so sure he was going to have a son. He raised his hand in the air, motioning an anbu towards him from the wreckage. "Please tell the nurse, that Minato had that son he'd been wanting."

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Time skip. Seven years later.

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Naruto is a very energetic child, and just a plain pain in the third's ass. As if being a jinchuuriki wasn't enough of a reason for a child to be disliked, Naruto had to go make it harder on himself by being a brat all the time. He played pranks a good deal of the time, and ran around the village amuck, sometimes even shirtless. Sarutobi thanked Kami that it wasn't a problem just yet, and a nurse had taken the time to scare Naruto from ever using a public restroom. The Nurse, former anbu, had actually done a lot for the hokage's cause, having personally known Kushina for a while. It was almost as though she could predict the child before he acted. Even had somehow convinced Naruto that all men had to make their voice sound deeper, and that they could sound really girly too. She'd dug her foot into a fellow anbu's crouch for demonstration. How their dirty little secret never got out, he wasn't sure. A miracle it must've been. Maybe Minato was looking out for them. Either way, Sarutobi was thankful.

One of Kushina's friends, Makoto, had volunteered to manage the child's inheritance until he was old enough to use them properly. Using that and her orphan's pension, Makoto had given Naruto an apartment on the other side of town, seemingly as far away from Minato and Kushina's home as possible. The third did not complain though. He was simply glad that someone was looking after the child.

The only people who know about Naruto's real gender are him, and certain members of anbu. Kakashi had never bothered with the child though, so he wasn't included. Maybe it was because Sarutobi himself was peeved at the teen's lack of interest in his sensei's child, especially when Minato had practically been a father to him. Sarutobi leaned back in his chair, a puff of smoke leaving his pipe. A low hum left his nostrils. Back to paperwork.

A few blocks away from the Hokage's office, Naruto was just now leaving the Academy, his arms crossed as he wondered if it would be rude to ask Iruka-sensei to treat him to ramen. He stopped, fidgeting a little as he glanced at a cake shop across the street. Pure white cakes sat in the window, decorated by delicate pink and yellow roses. He stared for a minute before making himself turn around. Cakes were for girls. He didn't need no girly cake. He dug one of his sandals into the ground. It wasn't like he could afford such a fancy cake anyway. The jinchuuriki huffed and crossed his arms, somewhat forcing himself to walk off. He really needed to stop that. What if one of the boys from school caught him? Especially that no-good Sasuke. His brows furrowed, beginning to frown. Why, just the thought of that arrogant jerk made Naruto want to hurl. Ugh.

"Would you like to go into that sweet's shop with me?" The sudden voice from behind him nearly caused Naruto to fall over. He blinked, turning around. A kind smile (way too relaxed!) and gentle eyes prodded the blonde, silky black hair tied behind his head. Naruto would know those traits anywhere. "Aren't you Sasuke's older brother?" He asked, taking a step back. What if it was an ambush? Though it would be rather odd, considering Sasuke himself had never attacked Naruto without being provoked, but he wouldn't put it past him. The older boy blinked. "Ah, I see you must be in the same class as my Otouto. I hope he's as good as he says he is." Naruto shoved his hands into his pockets. "He-He's fine."

"I have yet to introduce myself, have I? I'm Itachi. May I inquire yours?"

"It- I mean, it's Naruto. Naruto Uzumaki."

"It's nice to meet you. I hope you don't mind if I ask you to join me, seeing as it'd be rather lonely. Usually Sasuke comes with me, though unfortunately he caught a cold today. I'm sure you noticed he wasn't in class."

Naruto nodded, remembering the empty seat and the disappointed looks of his fan girls. "So would you?" He asked, holding his hand out politely. "Sure." Naruto replied, having become more comfortable with the older boy, having talked a little with him. He didn't seem the kind to ambush kids smaller than him. Guessing that Naruto wouldn't take his hand, Itachi turned and led the way into the sweets shop, holding the door open for him. The shopkeeper gave the Uchiha an odd look, but shook it off. Itachi was a nice kid after all.

Stepping up to the counter, Itachi made a side glance at Naruto, who seemed mesmerized by the cakes. He had a dreamy look on his face. The Uchiha stifled a chuckle, something Naruto immediately noticed and turned a rather peachy color.

"What would you like?" He asked, having already ordered some dango for himself, along with two cups of tea.

Naruto was very tempted to order a cookie, just to spite Sasuke's older brother, but his desire for a slice of cake won out. Trying to keep his dignity in tact (despite how much he really wanted the one with strawberries and little fondant flowers on top) he ordered the one with orange frosting.

"Carrot cake it is then."

The blonde instantly felt a multitude of regret. He hated vegetables!

He kept himself from complaining though. Naruto wasn't the one paying after all.

The odd duo sat down at a small table at the back. The chairs were worn and you could tell they had been repaired a few times, but the table itself was covered with a pristine white cloth.

A small, older woman brought two cups of hot tea from the back. She sat them on the table and disappeared back behind some curtains that hung above a wooden doorway. A moment later, she returned with their food. Multicolored Dango and a slice of carrot cake.

Itachi sipped at his tea calmly, observing the boy in front of him. He seemed be decently mannered when he wasn't being glared at... Yet there was still something off, something other than that lonely look in his eyes. The blond looked nervously at the cake, daring to remove a small piece with his fork. Naruto gently lifted it to his mouth. Itachi stared blankly. The boy's facial expression was in pure awe. "I-it's-! Practically better than ramen-!"

Itachi's face suddenly matched his. With the sudden sound of what seemed to be a much lighter, feminim tone leaving the boy's mouth. What Itachi had assumed was just the effects of baby fat in a young child (his brother looked rather feminim at times too, but he didn't sound completely female, even when he was crying) did not seem likely anymore. In fact, the more he looked at the boy in front of him, the more convinced Itachi became that he was definitely not looking at a boy. Then again, he could just be looking at an extremely feminim boy. It wouldn't be the first time. Usually, Itachi would've stopped there, but something bugged him about it. If this child wasn't a boy, why was she so terribly convinced she was male? He let out the breath he'd been holding, biting into his dango. Luckily, Naruto had been pretty busy tucking into his, or her, cake.

The blonde took a sip his tea, having been left untouched in the presence of such goodness. He glanced at Itachi, who was apparently deep in thought.

"Whatcha' thinking bout'?" He asked, his voice suddenly boyish again; though it sounded pretty fake this time around.

"Oh nothing. Just how my little brother used to try and aim as high as he could in the urinal."

Naruto stared at him for a minute. "The what?"

"You know, it sort of looks like a sink. It's on the wall and you pee in it."

Naruto looked even more confused.

"You stand across from it, and pee."

"... Is the Uchiha compound near a toxic waste facility?..."

Itachi looked at the 'boy' dumbfounded.

"Nevermind. Was your cake good?"

The jinchuuriki perked up at this pretty quickly.

"It was great! Like, the best cake I've ever had." He failed to mention it was his only slice, but he was pretty sure carrot cake was the best.

Itachi smiled. "I'm glad you enjoyed it. Would you like for me to walk you home?"

"Uh, sure." Naruto slid off the chair, noticing the sun setting outside.

The dark haired teen held the door open for the child. Once the child made it home, he had some things to ask the third.

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I feel as though I ended this a bit short, but it is a part of the prologue. (hoping to make the actually chapters at least five thousand words a piece)

I plan to make this a long story, updated at least once a week. It's obviously going to be Itanaru/Naruita.. Eventually. May have to wait awhile. There'll also be some naruhina...

So uh, I hope you stick around for the show, and leave a review afterwards. I don't have a beta reader, but I do have word so I usually just paste into that and read it over for good luck.

This going to a Naruko story... I never see any good ones (though if you know one, please recommend!)

Also, the letter W holds a special place in my heart.

So eerr.. Yeah, yup, yup.


	3. Prologue pt 3

It was raining lightly outside, and the sound gave a peaceful back drop to the sound of pen hitting paper, the occasional stamp being placed. The older man, noticing a presence, looked up. He motioned the off-duty anbu forward. Itachi Uchiha. A calm, calculating genius with a knack for being oddly kind. He vaguely reminded him of Kagami Uchiha, a man from the Hokage's generation. His son was just like him, and it made sense him and Itachi were friends. It wasn't common for a visit from Itachi and it was rare to see him without his mask. "Ah, Itachi. How may I be of service to you today?" The dark haired teenager looked at him blankly for a moment before opening his mouth, coal eyes baring into him. "Do you mind telling me why a certain blond-haired little girl is running around as a boy?"

Sarutobi wasn't sure what the Uchiha was speaking about for a moment, before realization hit him. His features became more serious. "It isn't too obvious, is it?"

"No, you seem to have done a good job convincing this child she's male. Do you mind answering my question? I have an idea of why, but for curiosity's sake I wish to hear it out of your mouth."

"It's for her safety, of course. Kushina herself had trouble. She was lucky the Yondaime was engrossed with her from the start. He always took care of her. A little too much, I might add, but let's not speak ill of the dead."

"I see.. And raising the child as a boy was your solution? What are you going to do when she reaches puberty? How are you going to explain that one? It's going to get out."

"I was thinking of putting her in ROOT. Or putting her into hiding."

"That's not an option, unless you want an emotionless jinchuuriki and Minato coming back from the dead to strangle you." Itachi paused for a moment before continuing, feeling a little protective of the hyperactive child. She was his brother's age after all. The thought of sending his little brother to ROOT made him feel a little sick. A small frown now graced his once emotionless features. "I get the feeling he's going to do that anyway, but... Do you really think the villagers won't notice the blond missing? I know the child is not the most beloved in the village, but surely there would be rumors. Not to mention her classmates. What about their reaction when they find out her real gender? Think about the problems that would cause."

The Sandaime rubbed his temples, his eyes focused on the wooden desk. If he recalled correctly, his former sensei herself had built it. "Hiruzen." Calling him by his first name? The Uchiha must be upset. He hadn't been called that by someone other than his wife for a long time now. Admittedly, though originally for her safety, the plan did cause Naruto, no, Naruko a lot of problems. Despite that, it only lessened Hiruzen's. Though he might get some angry letters from some Clan heads about their concern for 'her mental health', but Hiruzen knew better than that. Cheating them out of a free power up. "You're right, she'll find out eventually, but now is not that time. She needs to at least be a chuunin before we tell her, and that's if no one else finds out, and considering the complications it might cause on missions, there will be a time where there is."

"Then wouldn't it be better to tell her now? You're not making very much sense."

"Are you prepared to watch that child be prepped to be a bride the moment we reveal it? Or maybe you'd like to see more kidnapping attempts in the village. I'm saying if we tell her, it's only going to be that much harder for the child. I'd rather keep it under wraps for as long as possible."

Itachi sighed. It was true. Things would only get worse for the child. He didn't even want to know the conversation that would go on at the dinner table if Naruto's gender was revealed. His father was a reasonable man, but even that as of lately seemed questionable.

"I understand." And with that short sentence, Uchiha Itachi was gone. Sarutobi did not doubt the next time he saw him, it would definitely be under his anbu mask.

Over the next few months, Itachi and Naruto developed a pleasant relationship when the former's little brother wasn't around. Instead of going straight home to his little brother, he would check on the hyperactive blonde, much to his, or well, her, delight. Itachi himself found himself being drawn to the blonde like a moth to light. Naruto was actually not as a big of a brat he led the villagers to believe. In fact, the child was actually a joy to talk to. It was nice, being able to chat with someone outside the clan, even if it was just a child. Naruto also seemed to pick up on others' emotions pretty well, though a bit thick headed at times. The child's empathy didn't seem to help with the villagers being so rude all the time. Naruto also had worked out on who to talk to. Itachi was a part of this list, including the Third, Iruka Umino, Teuchi the ramen guy, and his daughter Ayame. There weren't many others outside of that list, though a couple were vaguely polite to him.

Occasionally Itachi would buy him regular groceries, as in, not ramen and milk. At first, Naruto didn't know what to do with them, other than frown and says vegetables were nasty. After some prodding, he got the child to eat some. Naruto didn't seemed very thrilled at being lectured to eat more of them, though complied after saying it would make him stronger. After a few weeks, Naruto seemed a bit healthier, his diet of ramen only being abandoned. This lead to Naruto having even more stamina, if that was even possible. One day Itachi came over to see Naruto taking notes from a cookbook. When Itachi questioned why he was studying a cookbook, he immediately asked what he meant. "The Librarian told me it was ninja book." The child stated, nodding his head. The Uchiha sighed. "I'll go get you some actual 'ninja' books tomorrow. Don't take anything she gives you ever again, okay? She's obviously not a very smart Librarian, considering she gave you a cookbook to study ninjutsu with."

The next day when Itachi arrived at Naruto's apartment, he found an eight year preparing curry. Just how long had Naruto been studying that book before he'd caught him? Itachi wasn't sure. "It all makes sense now! Heh, no wonder Iruka-sensei always gave me a funny look when I asked him if we could preheat kunai." Itachi stifled a laugh, peering into the pot. It wasn't a strange color, nor did it smell funny. In fact, it smelled like actual curry. Good curry. Deciding to help out, though cautious of curry made by an eight year old, he prepared the rice. Though it was really just turning on the rice maker.

Naruto's silverware wasn't the most luxurious looking silverware he'd ever laid eyes on. Some of it was chipping, and there were only a few matching pieces. It would do though. Naruto insisted he would lay out the silverware, stating Itachi was his guest and that he was the one who'd bought the groceries in the first place, but he obviously had no clue what he was doing. In the end, the Uchiha ending up laying it out, and fixing the tea. Naruto served his dish proudly, and sat down across from Itachi. After uttering a quick word of thanks, the blond dug in, unfazed. Itachi seemed to be a different story though, taking a sip of his tea before daring to take a bite. He was almost tempted to hold his nose.

It was sweet. A good sweet, and it vaguely reminded him of the first time his Mother had taken him to the Uzumaki-Namikaze household for dinner at her friend's home. The red-headed, loud woman had served curry. Sweet curry to be exact, and it had been delicious. As delicious as the curry he was eating now.

"Did you get the recipe for this curry out of that cookbook?" He asked quietly, as he took another bite. He had to contain his smile at the sweet flavor. Itachi had always had a sweet tooth, something his mother teased the Uchiha to no end about.

"Mmm. Yeah, though I added chocolate. There was something scribbled at the end of the recipe about adding chocolate."

The chance that Kushina's daughter would find the same recipe she'd adapted her own curry from years ago? In fact, how did that recipe book get into the Library in the first place? Surely Kushina wouldn't have written in a book she'd gotte- He took that back. It sounded exactly like something she would've done. Regardless, Itachi got the idea Kushina was looking after her child, even if she was six feet under while doing it. It definitely sounded like her.

After finishing the meal, and washing the dishes with help from Naruto (though once again, it'd taken some prodding), Itachi walked over to the stack of books he'd brought the kid. There were two on fuinjutsu, one on taijutsu, and another one on ninjutsu. The only ones Itachi hadn't read were the fuinjutsu ones, seeing as he had no interest in sealing, but seeing as the child's mother was a sealing master, maybe she'd up on it. Naruto immediately took to the one on taijutsu, looking at all the illustrations of people fighting. She seemed to be engrossed with the 'Fox Style'. The Uchiha briefly wondered if Naruto knew that she was the container of the nine tails. He almosted asked her, but Naruto spoke up before him. "Can you teach me this? Plleeeaassssee! I'll make you as much curry as you want!" How could he say no to that? Besides, something told him Naruto didn't get to train as much as she should.

The evening ended with the agreement that Naruto would make him dinner every Friday night, and that he would study a lot more (Itachi would quiz him to make sure); then, Itachi would agree to spar with him. In the end, Naruto took to the style like a fish to water, though seemed to avoid fuinjutsu. Itachi was a resilient teacher though, and forced the basics down Naruto's throat. Reciting them over and over until he got them right, and then even making a few basic seals. Though this was extremely advanced for Naruto's age, Itachi didn't seem to notice. Itachi was, after all, a genius. His kindness did not extend to softness, especially when it came to knowledge. He was used to playing nice with his little brother when it came to taijutsu, but Sasuke had never had a problem with book smarts, unlike Naruto. So Itachi had little sympathy to the constantly repeating Naruto. His grades continued to improve, much to Iruka's joy. Plus, his behavior did too. Having someone's attention did wonders for the child, though his pranking only got more clever and harder to catch, much to the Sandaime's chagrin.

As more time flew by, the closer Itachi became to the little blond, and the less time he spent at home. Which seemed to be okay with Sasuke as of currently, trying his best to get their father's attention, who only showed fondness for his younger son when he was out of the room. Itachi in turn, retaliated by refusing to go on anbu missions and spending time with Sasuke. This also seemed to lessen his absence at times, though his Mother was pretty suspicious. "I bet it's a girl. You're never here for dinner on fridays... Hmm... And I know you can't have a mission every week on the same day... Plus you're always home by nine. Though there was that one time you came home at twelve... You didn't sleep with her, did you?! Oh my god- My baby, you're only fourteen! Who is that skank? Genius or not, you're not old enough to-" Itachi choked at his mother's words. It wasn't like her to jump to conclusions. "Relax Mother, I-" Shisui popped in by the window. "He's been spending time at the orphanage. I always knew he was a softie, but charitable? I'm starting to wonder if he's really Fuguku's son." Mikoto blinked, her eyes narrowing. "A real cute little girl. Already preparing the future wife?" For some reason, this seemed to relax Mikoto. Itachi seemed taken back, but Shisui did cover for him a lot. Did he know Naruto's actual gender? Or was it just a part of the cover? Itachi wasn't sure. "You should've told me Itachi. Back when-" Shisui cut her off, seeming to remember something. "Oh, by the way, the third wanted to see you..." Something about his voice seemed off. Itachi nodded. "Excuse me mother." And with that, the two Uchihas disappeared. Mikoto simply shrugged, turning back to her dishes.

A few hours later, Itachi left the hokage tower, his shoulders heavy enough to crush him. A few days later, Itachi received news of his best friend's suicide. A month later, his decision was made.

It was a Friday, and he had just finished dinner at Naruto's house. Naruto had prepared carrot cake as celebration to her mastering fox style. He'd been hearing a lot about Naruto from his brother lately. They seemed to be becoming friends. He was happy with this for several reasons. One of them being the events of tomorrow night. Naruto's birthday was also tomorrow, and Itachi had ordered him a few scrolls from a small village just out of snow country after writing to the librarian there and asking if they had any scrolls on fox style, a practice that had stopped being practiced around the time the first hokage's husband, Madara Uchiha, had sealed it into her close friend Mito Uzumaki. It made sense, considering it destroyed several villages before heading towards the leaf, where it was captured.

After presenting Naruto with her presents, who complained that she was going to have to start putting ramen under her bed since she wouldn't have any more room for it when he was crowding her room with books. When he mentioned that she could just put the books under her bed instead, she immediately took offence and her cheeks turned red. "W-well, I- They're expensive and all soo..." Itachi simply ruffled her hair and smiled. It calmed his nerves somewhat, talking to Naruto. He left a few minutes later. She'd been looking at him oddly the entire night, and had asked a few times if he was alright. He'd simply smiled in return.

Itachi Uchiha was not surprised when a small, blond child suddenly stood before him a day later, just outside of the gates of the Uchiha compound, while he was dressed in anbu gear. He'd seen it in her eyes the night before. The scene felt bittersweet. The child he'd given hope to, trying to restore his. Her words were jumbled, but quiet. She reached out to him, just to be brushed away. Naruto refused this. She refused to let him do something so horrible. Itachi wasn't like this, he knew, so why was he doing it? The child wrapped her arms around him, giving him a hug. It was not returned. Naruto was in his pajamas, animal night cap and all. He tried hitting Itachi, but was easily pushed away. Her arguing turned into crying. Saying that he could do something, anything, other than this. Itachi didn't know how he'd found out about it in the first place. "I'll yell for help- I-I-'ll get someone to stop you-I" Itachi ignored her though, his face emotionless under the mask. "Go home, Naruto... And if you tell anyone, you already know what I'll have to do." Suddenly, Naruto was knocked off her feet, hard. The Uchiha could literally hear the crunch of a broken rib. Itachi's eyes widened as a man in a dark robe appeared. "Need some help?" He asked. His voice was low and rough, like his vocal cords had been operated on at some point. The man raised a kunai, aiming for Naruto's head. The weapon didn't even make it out of his hand. Itachi swooped up the small child and turned to see the man was gone. Considering what he'd been about to do, Itachi didn't see it as worth it to try and find him. He took the child to the hospital, and after seeing him be placed in a cot with a few broken ribs, Itachi placed a note in her hands. At least he'd been able to do that much.

And so he left. He knew he was late, and around this time... He'd been hoping to avoid Sasuke coming home. He'd rather have been gone by then...

Luck was not on his side, and as he turned to his little brother who stood over the bodies of their parents, he almost smiled, knowing he left luck herself at the hospital.

Naruto woke in a plain white room, laying in plain white sheets. They weren't very warm, and he found himself shivering. She tried to sit up, but immediately felt a sharp pain in his chest. Tears formed at the edges of his vision, remembering the night before with an unfortunate vividness. In her sorrow, she felt what must've been paper in her hands. He lifted his hand of the sheets, in it, a single ripped sheet of notebook paper.

"Please continue to study regularly, and continue practicing your fuinjutsu. The scrolls I gave you for your birthday should be enough to help you advance your fox style. Do not forget the things I have taught you. Remember to listen before you speak. Your empathy will probably get you anywhere you want to go. Be good.

- Itachi."

Naruto felt more tears prick at his eyes, and his chest began to ache. It wasn't from the broken ribs this time. He forced himself to sit up, stuffing the note in his mouth and swallowing it. He knew how to keep to a secret. Itachi had taught him, after all.

* * *

Sorry for the no update last week. My apologies, it's harder to keep my muse in place than it is Naruto when he's about to learn a new jutsu. The fun starts from here on out. I'll probably skip some stuff, since it'd just be the same as the manga. Most likely the Zubaza arc, though I'll of course do team introductions and all that good stuff. Not sure how much Iruka i want in this fic... Oiii... Though if I do, there'll be some irukaka. So I hope you guys don't mind. If i don't include Iruka as much, then I'll have Rin be alive.. I do like Rin...

Did you catch it? Ya'know, the part about Madara and his wife. There's an extra head up there~ I'm assuming Tobirama married Mito this time around. He's a jerk face, but he's so sassy I couldn't imagine any gal not falling in love with him..

There's also a hint in here to something else I wanna write, but then again, not sure if i wanna speak ill of the dead...

So, er, review and stuff! Tell me whatcha' think so far.


	4. Spring in October

Naruto left the hospital the next afternoon, after being visited by the third. They'd exchanged silent pleasantries and smiled like there wasn't an elephant in the room. The elder man kindly asked, pulling a chair up beside the cot, if he'd heard news of what had happened the night before. He swallowed, the taste of paper still on his tongue from only hours ago. The time between then and now had been spent staring out the window. Some of the happiest moments of his life were now behind him. Gone with the twirling leaves caught between the rooftops. There was a vague thought of hope to see them again, but he pushed them away. Wherever they were now, he wouldn't be seeing them for a while.

"Nope, sorry old man. The nurse's been keep'n me locked up in this room. Can you believe it? Future Hokage confined to the equivalent of a cell!"

Sarutobi visibly relaxed, his forced smile from before now becoming a more relaxed one. "I see then. No need to ruin your day then... May I ask how you came to have several broken ribs?"

The blond crossed his arms and huffed, hiding his blue eyes.

"Twenty enemy ninja..."

The third simply laughed before Naruto could even begin the story, efficiently cutting him off.

"Nice to know you're looking after the village."

"Y-yeah, well, I'm going to be Hokage someday so it's pretty obvious I'm going to ya'know!"

A small, somewhat timid conversation later, the third left.

The Uzumaki let a hum escape his lips. No way was he going to stay here any longer! He had things to do! Things that Itachi had left him, and while the Uchiha was gone, he was totally going to become the best ninja ever and pay him back for all the stuff he'd done for him! Including the first slice of cake he'd ever had. He'd definitely buy him a slice sometime, when he started to get his earnings as a ninja. Yeah! He'll definitely do that, or else his name wasn't Naruto Uzumaki!

Jumping out of bed with renewed vigor after doing a fist pump into the air, Naruto started searching for his clothing. It wasn't that hard to find, considering his clothing was bright orange. For a moment, Naruto stopped in the mirror, staring at himself. He looked kind of different than most boys his age.. Most of them seemed to have less shape than him... It was weird. Naruto brushed it off, seeing as everyone was unique. Maybe he hadn't grown into himself yet. Yeah, that was definitely it. He zipped up his orange coat and winked at himself. Yeah, he was totally awesome.

Stepping out of his room, the blond glanced down the hallway, blue eyes looking back and forth, checking for nurses. His eyes narrowed as he spotted two at the end of the hallway, though they seemed to be deep in conversation. Their voices slightly hushed. Naruto quietly left the safety of the doorway, knowing he'd have to walk past them. However, though the topic not surprising, the content was what made him stop.

"The only survivor..."

"I feel so sorry for him, such a talented boy..."

"So young..."

The jinchuuriiki froze, his eyes widening.

"Poor Uchiha Sasuke. He really is the last of his clan."

Naruto could've sworn he felt the floor fall beneath him. Whether it was from happiness or shock, he couldn't tell... All he knew was that Sasuke had just had his entire clan killed by his beloved older brother the night before. Did he know the truth? Naruto wondered, his head turning towards the open hospital room door.

A familiar face sat upright in the bed. Naruto would never forget his expression.

He almost walked inside, but something tugged at his heart to stop. His teeth gnawed at the inside of his cheek. Even if he did walk in there, what would he say? "I'm sorry that your clan was massacred"? He must've heard something good in that sentence, because that's exactly what Uzumaki Naruto did.

His pale friend just stared back him, eyes empty, yet filled to the brim at the same time. Tears left his eyes, and he just sat there. Staring into the plain white sheets.

Itachi had said his empathy would get him anywhere, but there seemed to be a limit. Naruto did not know the loss of an entire clan. He'd never even had a family to begin with. He attempted to swallow the lump in his throat, but he found that his mouth was too dry to do so.

Despite not being able to truly connect with his male friend, Naruto did know one thing. The pain of being alone. He'd suffered it since he knew what it was, and even before he knew the word for it.

Doing the only thing he could think of doing, he wrapped his arms around his rival awkwardly, pulling him close. He smelled like hospital, like cheap watered down sanitizer, and very lightly, of soap.

Sasuke would never admit it, or at least, for a very long time, that he needed that hug. Even if it was miniscule, it was something. Even it was a single grain to an entire field, it was something. He held on to the blond for longer than intended, not that he'd intended to hug back in the first place, or let the sobs escape his body. The orphan felt himself being squeezed, and the comfort was not lost on him. Even when his eyes had gone dry, the whimpers still continued, the loss still sharp in his lungs. When it was finally gone, that he could no longer cry, and his eyes had begun to fall, he remembered a blond sitting on the end of his hospital bed, with large blue eyes and gentle gaze.

When Sasuke had finally fallen asleep, the blond decided he should probably go to the bathroom and clean up. He splashed water on his face a few times, and attempted to wipe off the snot off his jacket. He scrubbed at it diligently, trying to get the scene from before out of his head. Naruto had never seen Sasuke cry before, and it was odd, seeing the Uchiha as someone more human. Naruto remembered himself crying, some time ago. He'd stopped just a few months before Itachi invited him to the sweet's shop. He bit his lip and scrubbed at the jacket even harder. Itachi still made his eyes sting.

The jacket was pretty damp when Naruto put it back on, but he didn't care that much. It still clung to his skin as made his way towards the stairwell, deciding to head home. Maybe he could bring Sasuke something to eat? He must be hungry... Hospital food wasn't all that good, not to mention the blond had spotted the tray of food on the table towards the side of the room. It looked pretty cold. Opening the door to the stairs, he bumped into a girl about his age with pink hair. "Ehh-" Before anymore words could leave his mouth, he recognized the girl as Sakura Haruno. "Sakura? What are you doing here?" He asked rather bluntly, offering his hand to help her up. She didn't take it though, and simply pushed herself up. She brushed herself off. "Sasuke-kun-" Naruto spotted the flowers in her hands. "Ne, ne, those must be for me, right?" He interrupted, pointing at the flowers. "No! Of course they aren't, they're for Sasuke-kun..." Naruto blinked, and then nodded. "He's asleep right now though, or at least, when I was there was. If he is awake, I'm sure he'll appreciate the company, ya'know."

Sakura looked a little confused. "Wait, did you come here to visit Sasuke-kun too? All the way here? Don't you live across town or something?"

"Nah, I was here already. I was fighting off enemy-nin last night, and I got hit pretty hard! But it was totally an unfair blow, ya'know, he cheated or something."

Sakura simply sighed in return. "Whatever Naruto. He's on this floor, right?" She asked, crossing her arms, daffodils in one hand. Naruto nodded, beginning to pass her. He heard her murmur goodbye as he left.

He had already begun to open the door to the lobby when he noticed another flight of stairs behind him. He'd never noticed them before, and guessed they must lead to the basement. Deciding to just take a peek for curiosity's sake (he wasn't looking forward to seeing the villagers again on that long walk home), he tip-toed down the very last flight of stairs, and stopped at the door, reading the letters hung above it. "Morgue".

Naruto paled, tempted to walk away, but his curiosity kept him going. Besides, he's not some scaredy cat! He pushed the door open slowly, noticing the hallway in front of him was empty. It was the same as the other hospital hallways, plain and white, but somehow, this one seemed... More dead. Perhaps it was just the fact that it was completely empty... No, that wasn't it. There was no color to the room at all... Nothing. It felt very grey. He looked down at his suddenly sweaty hands, swearing he could see stuff beneath them. The blond squeezed his eyes shut, taking a deep breath.

He had no clue as to why he was walking forward with his eyes closed. He just knew that he was. It was a somewhat carefree feeling, like a prisoner walking outside of the prison but with the chains still on his ankles. He wasn't sure whether it was hard to explain or not. Naruto wasn't sure of anything in the first place. Sometimes, he simply felt very out of place. He didn't want to think about it very much. So he continued forward, arms outstretched. After a few moments, his hands hit a door. It was cold. And metal.

For some reason, he felt like sneezing. It was an odd sensation, and a shiver ran down his spine. Naruto opened his eyes, prepared to look into the abyss.

The abyss stared back. With empty, black eyes. Blinking slowly, a white sheet of paper covering most of its face. Something shoved her forward with urgency, causing the blonde to hit the abyss and fall to the ground. A cold, white hand fell from the table. Glancing around, she was surrounded by these tables. With pale white bodies. Ebony stands hidden under ivory sheets. Naruto sneezed, the one in front of him doing something... Uncorpse-like.

"Naruto...?"

The hollow whisper was enough to cause him to scream. Loudly.

It was heard throughout the hospital, and it met the ears of the Third as he was about to leave. He knew that scream very well. This however, was definitely not from a temper tantrum. He raised his hand, motioning anbu to act. Behind them a few nurses heading towards the location of the scream. Even Sakura, sitting with Sasuke in his hospital room heard it. Her head turned towards the door, watching some nurses fly by. "What the-" Sasuke's eyes followed hers. A mental patient, maybe?

When the anbu arrived on the scene, they found a passed out blonde laying on the floor. And a corpse, sitting up, staring at them with blank eyes. An Uchiha female. Mother of the lone survivor.

Uchiha Mikoto.

Two hours later, Naruto woke back up in the same hospital bed he'd been in. Freezing. Shivering, he pulled the blankets around him closer, azure orbs searching around his room for his jacket. Luckily, it was laying on the nightstand beside the cot. The blonde grabbed it gratefully, slipping it on to his skinny arms. Deciding it would be stupid to continue wasting the day at the hospital, he tore the sheets away and jumped up, noticing his sandals were still on. They must've been busy or something, to not even take his shoes off.

The jinchuuriki peeked outside of the door, his eyes immediately focusing on some nurses huddling outside of a room a few doors down. He blinked, the memory of the morgue hitting him. T-that... Lady... She'd... It had to have been a dream. Besides, if Naruto had been down there in the morgue, which was currently filled with Uchiha bodies, surely she would've had to get past a few doctors or something. Why would the morgue be empty when it was filled to the brim with bodies? It was odd. Maybe it was on lunch break or something?

He decided it didn't matter right now, and continued outside. Naruto stopped to watch a doctor leave the room that the nurses had been huddled outside of. He took a deep breath before saying something. "She's going to live- I'm not sure how she's lasted so long in the state she's in- or how the medics missed her heartbeat but... She's alive. If that blond kid hadn't been down there- She probably would've died." The nurses around him began chattering, and the Doctor began walking away.

Naruto ran up to him before he disappeared, grabbing his coat. "-Hey- Uh- Who was that lady? The um, one you were talking about?"

"Uchiha Mikoto. Her and her son- They're the only survivors of the massacre that happened last night." He paused for a moment. "Wait- are you-?"

The boy in orange had already ran off though, heading towards Sasuke's room. He slammed the door open, nearly causing Sakura to fall out of her chair. "Ehh?! Naruto- What are you doing-"

He sucked in a breath before looking directly at Sasuke. "Your mother's alive-!"

Sasuke's eyes widened for a moment, but they quickly fell again. "I saw her corpse. She's dead."

"Then- Why's she in a hospital room?"

"Wait- what?"

Naruto grabbed Sasuke by the hand, dragging him out of the room and running towards the door where nurses were once huddled. The boy in a hospital gown froze up, his thoughts wavering. He opened the door, and his eyes met his Mother's. Tears formed. "S-sasuke..." He ran towards his mother, his arms already outstretched and waiting to meet hers.

The blonde watched the two quietly, a pang of jealousy hitting him. It must feel nice. She pushed it away, turning to leave the room. Maybe one day she'd hug someone like that two. Maybe someone would look that relieved to see her... No, it would definitely happen. Naruto was sure of it.

**O0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o **

Soooo… A short chapter I know. I keep planning on five thousand words but I keep stopping at two and a half. Forgive me readers. Also planning to update again soon. Hopefully.

Also, do me a favor and review pleeaassee!

I always work faster when I know someone wants to see the next chapter.


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